Improvement in floors



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEvI swoon, OF MARION, IowA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLOORS.

Specication forming part of Letters PatentNo. 140,864, dated July 15, 1873; application led May 31, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI S. WOOD, of Marion, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Floor-Truss, of whichthe following isa specification The object of this invention is to provide means for strengthening floors, roofs, Ste.;

and it consists in one or more truss-rods passed through the joists of the iloor or rafters of a roof in combination with bridge-blocks, the arrangement being as hereinafter set forth and described. I

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents a plan view of a door with my improvement applied. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line X X, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a section showing the truss applied so as to arch the floor. i

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

A A are the Hoor-timbers. B represents the joists, G the truss-rod, and D represents the bridge-blocks. The joists are let into the floortimbers in the ordinary manner 5 but they may be spliced or made in two parts, the inner ends of the parts lapping past each other, as seen in Fig. l. The truss-rod C is passed through holes in each joist, as seen in Fig.2. E represents washer-blocks on the ends ofthe rod, which rest upon the beams F. There may be a nut upon each end of the rod, or the rod may be riveted at one end over an iron washer.

The bridge-blocks D are fitted between the joists on .one or both sides of the rod, and then the nut or nuts on the rod are turned up, giving the rod any required degree of tension, and binding the blocks and joists firmly together. Weight placed over any one joist is.

roofs that have settled in the middle may thus be brought up to a level. Ordinary floors in large apartments are usually bridged every two or three feet.

By applying one or more of these truss-rods, and binding according to my plan, such ioors will remain firm and retain their form for an indefinite period.

Any number of the rods may be employed;

but for ordinary apartments one or two will be found suflicient.

VHaving thus described my invention, I claim d as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The bridging D and the rod C, in combination, substantially as and for the purposes'described.

LEVI S. WOOD.

Witnesses C. C. STAFFORD, M. E. WOOD. 

